Rankin kennedy



(No Model.)

R. KENNEDY. PoR HEATING BY BLEGTRIGITY.

Patented Aug. 1]. 1891,l

` APPARATUS N0. 45 7,561.

III IIIIIIIHIL UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RANKIN KENNEDY, OF KILMARNOCK, SCOTLAND.

APPARATUSv FOR HEATING BY ELECTRICITY.

SPECIF'ICATION forming' part of Letters Application tiled November 20, 1890. Serial No. 371,990. (No model.) Patented in England lily 13, 1890,

Patent No. 457,561, dated August 11, 1891.

No. 7,899, and June To all whom it may concern.:

Bo it known that I, RANKIN KENNEDY, a 'subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident. of Kilmarnock, North Britain, have invented a certain new and useful Improve` inentin Apparatus for ll'eating by Electricity 'ind lllngnctisin, of which the following is a specification. l

It is well known that it' an alterna-ting or pnlsatory electric current be in ade Io pass through a helix surrounding an iron core 1n* luced currents are caused to circulate within the mass of iron, by which thelatter becomes heated.

lThe object of my invention is to utilize the heat thus generated. In some of the apparatus and methods hitherto' employed for this purpose electricity has been derived from an external source and conveyed therefrom directly into the body to be heated.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus in which the electricity which is to be zonverted into heat is induced by the action )i magnetism, which magnetism is generlted by deriving from any'suitable electric generator electric currents, preferably of an tlt-ernating character. The body which is to Je heated is preferably made of iron', in orler that magnetism may be applied directly 'hereto and the heat produced within its subitance. Smoothingfirons, soldering-irons, and ther tools and utensils of similar `character ire heated by placing them against or be- `Ween the poles of an electro-magnet, preferaily provided with a laminated-iron core and inergized by a cnrrent,'preferably alternatng in its character. The magnetism'induced within the iron utensil under the influencent he altern ating currents in the coils, produces econdary alternating currents within the nass of iron of .which the articles are contituted, s o that the whole energy of these urrents is transformed into heat within the ron. The articles or receptacles which are o be heated may themselves be made of noniagnetic substances or even of substances fhioh are 4non conductors of electricity. Vhen the bodies to be heated are noninag ctie' conductors of eectrcty-as, for exmple, brass or copper-they may be most Iectively heated, together with their'conants. by placingvtheni within the field of force of the e1ectro-n1agnet and placing an iron armature within them to direct and con centrate the lines of force, so that secondary currents are induced within the shell of the is placed in such a position as to concentrate cent poles of the electro-magnet. The heat thus developed within the armature is iniparted to -the contents of the vessel and to the vessei itself. The iron armature is preferably co ted or provided with an envelope of som metal which is either thesame as that of which the containing-vessel is construc'ted or one which will manifest. no voltaic action in connection therewith.

and 2 illustrate the application of my invention to the heating of smoothing-irons Fig. 3 shows the' manner of heat-luga copperkettle audits contents. Fig.4 shows :L -glass beaker containing a liquid to be heated. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate the application of the invention to heating a soldering-bit.

Referring to Fig. LM is an electro-magnet having a laminated core made up of thin plates of iron 'secured together and suiiiciently insulated from each other, the construction being similar to that of the wellknown alternatingcurrent transformer. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, in which the conductor sis shown in diagram as being wrapped round the middle limb of the magnet.

F is a common smoothing-iron, which is heated by being placed between the polos of the magnet, so as to form with it a more or less closed magnetic circuit. Iu this manner heating-currents are induced within thebedy of the smoothing-iron itself, as indicated by thearrows.

In Fig. 3 is shown acopper kettle mounted upon alnagnetni .substantially the .saine conarmature is of such dimensions and form and v the lines of force proceeding from the adja- In the accompanying drawings, Figures l struction as that described. An iron armature'a is placed within the kettle, which armature is plated with copper. 'lhe arrows show the direction of the induced magnetism. The glass beakerin Fig. 4 is heated in substantially the same manner. The armaf ture a may be plated with any inoxidizalle -heat therein.

metal. The magnetic influence passes. freely through the walls of these vessels and induces secondary heating-currents in the armature.

Fig. '7 is acopper soldering-bit, in which a mass ot copper C, of the ordinary well-known form, envelops an iron armature D. Figs. 5 and 6 show the manner in which this is placed in the magnetic circuit in order to develop In this instance the magnetic iuuence is exerted principally upon the iron core or armature, While the induced or sec# ondary current is chiefly confined tothe cop per, in which it is transformed into heat.

The accompanyingdrawings illustrate some of the most obvious applications of this in- I vention; but many other adaptations to varions industrial uses maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

An important-advantage of this method of I ,heating by the application ofvelect-rical energy is that the energy is convertedinto heat only Within the body which is-to be heated. The electrical energy is transferred from the primary current of the generator into the mass to be heated solely by the agency of magnetismland inasmuch as the magnetic influence, asis well known, passes freely through all substances, my invention renders it possible to transmit any required amount of energy for 451, man.

the lpurpose of developing heat through glass, ai'r, wood, and all other bodies, whether conductors of electricity or not.

I claim as my invention-` 1. `'In an apparatus for heati g by electricity, the combination of a core forming an open or discontinuous magnetic circuit, a inagnetizing-coil, and a source of pulsatory currents, with a body composed wholly or in 'part of iron adapted to be placed in the incomplete portion of the magnetic circuit and heated by secondary currents inducedptherein, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for heating by electricity, the combination of a core forming an open or discontinuous magnetic circuit, a magnetizing-coil, and asource of alternating currents, with an armature of iron provided with an envelope of non-magnetic material.

3. -Inan apparatus for heating by electricity, the combination of a core forming an open or discontinuous magnetic circuit, a magnetizing-coil, and a source of alternating currents, with a vessel containing liquid and an arr'" ture of iron placed within said vessel ig sa a position as-to concentrate the lines of mag neticpforce traversing the space between the poles of the electromagnet formed by the core.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my narne this 9th day of October, A. D. 1890.

RANKIN KEN N ED Y. l/Vtnesses:

` JOHN KENNEDY, Lau1 Ule'rk, Market Lame, Kilmarnock.

JOHN STEWART, Law Apprentice, .Market Lane, Kilmarnock. 

